A federal report that alleges physical abuse at two state-run juvenile facilities in Lansing, outside Ithaca, and two others near Albany is far from the first time allegations of abuse have surfaced at the state's detention centers.

In 1994, a 15-year-old boy died of suffocation when he was restrained at a Delaware County facility. Two years later, 14-year-old Lee Jackson ended up in a coma after he was restrained at the Louis Gossett Jr. facility in Lansing.

Jackson never regained the ability to see or walk, and died in 2003. The state settled his lawsuit for $9.75 million. In 2006, the Gossett facility was the focus of an investigation into allegations of rampant abuse by the state Inspector General's Office. That investigation determined there was insufficient evidence to criminally prosecute any workers but found other serious problems.

This week, a report by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division leveled new charges of physical abuse against the Gossett and Lansing residential centers and the Tryon youth detention facilities for boys and girls in Johnstown.

Boys and girls detained at those facilities suffered concussions and broken bones and teeth at the hands of workers who routinely used excessive force to restrain them, the report said.

Youths at the four centers also did not receive needed mental health counseling or help for substance abuse problems, according to the report.

The document further said that administrators at the four facilities failed to adequately investigate the use of force and failed to take corrective action against offending employees.

Report findings

Here are some of the Justice Department's findings:

• Many boys and girls at the two Lansing centers suffered serious injuries when workers used the full-prone restraint technique, which involved placing the youths face down on the ground with arms behind their backs, frequently handcuffed.

• At the Lansing girls facility, workers used that restraining method 698 times in 2007, and 123 injuries were reported.

• The four facilities failed to adequately investigate their workers' use of force.

• Offending workers were not held accountable. In one case a worker with three prior abuse violations kept his job after his union negotiated a settlement on his behalf. The settlement: He received a letter of reprimand, was fined $800 and was suspended for two weeks. However, the suspension would be implemented only if he abused another resident within the next year.

• Residents were routinely prescribed psychotropic drugs that were not needed, and they were not adequately monitored.

• Many of the residents' mental health plans were superficial, generalized and in jargon the youths did not understand.

The report, a copy of which was sent to Gov. David Paterson, is the culmination of a nearly two-year probe, which included several on-site investigations at the four facilities last year. The 32-page report details a history of physical abuse and other systemic problems which investigators say must be corrected.

"As described below, we conclude that the conditions at Lansing, Gossett, Tryon Boys and Tryon Girls violate constitutional standards in the areas of protection from harm and mental health care. ... Our investigation revealed staff used excessive force to control youth's behavior," investigators said.

Administrators at the two Lansing facilities declined to comment Tuesday and referred calls to the state Office of Children and Family Services, which runs their detention centers and 26 other juvenile facilities.

In a statement, Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Gladys Carrion said she has begun overhauling the system, which she said was rife with problems when she took office 18 months ago.

"More than 18 months ago into this transformation, we have made great strides, but much more still needs to be done," Carrion said.

The Justice Department recommended Carrion's office implement a minimum of 28 remedial measures to protect the boys and girls at the four facilities from future harm and to provide them with adequate mental health care. The state attorney general's office is authorized to start a lawsuit to force the issue if the corrective steps are not started within 49 days after Carrion's office received the letter. The report was dated Aug. 14, but not made public until Monday.